Contents

Development and design

The Shadowbolt mare shares her mane and tail style with Blaze and Surprise. The two stallions share their mane and tail style with each other and Wave Chill. "Shady" was previously used as the name of a G1 Earth pony mare.

The winged skull cutie mark[2][3] on the Shadowbolt costume worn by Rainbow Dash varies—in Luna Eclipsed and in some material, it has a different design than on Shadowbolt uniforms, while in some material, it has the same design as on Shadowbolt uniforms. Rainbow's costume is misidentified as a Wonderbolt costume in online promotional material,[4][5] but it is identified as a Shadowbolt costume in merchandise.

Depiction in the series

In the season one episode Friendship is Magic, part 2, Nightmare Moon briefly transforms into the trio of pony Shadowbolts. She claims that they are the greatest aerial team in the Everfree Forest and attempts to persuade Rainbow Dash to abandon the rest of the Mane Six and become the Shadowbolts' captain, but Rainbow Dash declines this offer and sticks with the Mane Six.

In the season two episode Luna Eclipsed, Rainbow Dash wears a Shadowbolt costume for Nightmare Night.

Other depictions

Printed works

In My Little Pony Annual 2017 chapter 1, a pair of changelings impersonate the Shadowbolts and challenge Rainbow Dash to a race in order to keep her from joining the other Wonderbolts in battling Queen Chrysalis' forces. Each of the disguised changelings is addressed as Shady, the stallion-disguised one by the mare-disguised one and the mare-disguised one by Rainbow Dash.

Shadowbolts are featured in Gameloft's mobile game. They are a single character called "The Shadowbolts" with the Ponyville house "The Shadowbolts' Hut" and the description "They're Nightmare Moon's knights-in-shadowy armor -- the Shadowbolts are Pegasi with predilections for bringin' the pain!" Shadowbolts also appear in two of the minigames. Seasonal theming of the game has had Rainbow Dash wear her Shadowbolt costume.

A file of the game's has included information for a character called "Shadow Surprise" with the house "Shadowbolts' Hut" and the description "One of Nightmare Moon's most trusted Shadowbolts, Shadow Surprise is a Pegasus with a predilection for bringing the pain!"

Luna Eclipsed

In the PlayDate Digital game My Little Pony: Luna Eclipsed, an adaptation of the episode Luna Eclipsed, Rainbow Dash wears a Shadowbolt costume for Nightmare Night.